An ethics letter outlines a nominee's potential conflicts of interest. In Kagan's case, she agreed to resign from several academic organizations and fellowships, including the American Law Deans Association and the National Constitution Center.

Kagan also stepped down from the advisory board of the Goldman Sachs Global Markets Institute. Critics have been quick to question Kagan's relationship with Goldman Sachs, which paid her a $10,000 "stipend." ProPublica concludes her connection to the investment bank, which could face fraud charges, is far from scandal-worthy:

"And while any connection to the toxic Goldman Sachs brand is likely to be political fodder during the confirmation process, the jury is out on how substantive the connection really is.

As the disclosure shows, the $10,000 was a pittance next to the $427,299 salary she reported as a Harvard Law School dean.

And, according to reports, the advisory board was more likely to discuss policy issues than ways to profit from complex securities," ProPublica wrote.

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